Sour Smell...

[Squiggl3s]

So 8 days ago I started a mead and was pretty happy how things were turning out. Last night I opened the top and there was a sour smell to it.
I started with a gallon and a a quarter of honey, 12 lbs. peaches that were frozen then thawed, 6 cinnamon sticks and the rest water (enough to fill a 6.5 gallon big mouth bubbler). The honey was mixed with hot water and added 1/4 gallon honey to half gallon water roughly. It ended up really nicely at 1.100 on the SG. I added pectic enzyme waited an hour then added yeast nutrient and the yeast (71b-112). I left an open top fermentation for the first 36 hours with a cloth tightly over the top and the fermentation started fast and aggressively. After I was sure the yeast was well along I added an airlock to it. I punched down the fruit and gave it a stir 2 times a day for the first 3-4 days and then left it over the weekend as I was out of town. Last night was the end of day 7 and I wanted to check the gravity, it came to 1.030ish but there was a sour smell from it (like the fruit was beginning to spoil). I racked it off the peaches into a 5 gallon carboy and left as little air as I could. I also added 5 cinnamon sticks to it.

Am I waiting on a spoiled peach mead, or is it too early for me to be getting worried? I've made 2 batches of wine and this is my first mead so I'm learning as I go lol. Thanks for any advice or help in advance.

 

[Dan O]

Was there anything funky looking about the fruit when you racked it? Was it fuzzy anywhere? Really, the best way, for my own satisfaction, it to taste it. Tasting along the way will help you see if something is wonky a lot of the times.

 

[Squiggl3s]

Was there anything funky looking about the fruit when you racked it? Was it fuzzy anywhere? Really, the best way, for my own satisfaction, it to taste it. Tasting along the way will help you see if something is wonky a lot of the times.

I cant say anything looked out of the ordinary, The peaches were more or less starting to fall apart into the must and the ones still on top looked like sponges. There was no visible mold.
I was tasting each time moved the fruit around, just a few drops lol, and right before I had left I could taste the honey and peaches nicely together so I was pretty excited on the progress. When I came back and did the SG reading and noticed the smell, I left about a shot in my test tube, degassed it and tasted it. It was more of a neutral flavor now with the smell lingering.

After transferring to the new carboy the fermentation is still moving along very well so hopefully it can take care of itself. I know mead is a longer process with aging and letting the flavors come forward, but I'm hoping I'm not waiting on a big jug of junk juice.